Franz Grimme turns 80 – An entrepreneur with passion and pioneering spirit

The Damme entrepreneur Franz Grimme celebrates his 80th birthday on 3 March 2026. In 1980, he took over the management of the "GRIMME Landmaschinenfabrik" (GRIMME agricultural machinery factory) from his father, which at that time employed 300 people and manufactured 10 products. In 1985, he married his wife Christine, who has been responsible for public relations at the company since 2003. Three and five years after the wedding, respectively, their sons Christoph (1988) and Philipp (1990) were born. Franz Grimme founded the first foreign subsidiary in the USA in 1985. INTERNORM, a specialist in plastics technology, was founded in 1987, followed by RICON, a company for the production of webs and conveying equipment, in 1995. With the acquisitions of US potato technology manufacturer SPUDNIK (2003) and Danish vegetable technology specialist ASA-LIFT (2013), Franz Grimme consistently focused on internationalisation and a broad product range.

At the same time, own subsidiaries and service agencies were established in numerous core markets such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Russia, Denmark, Turkey, Poland, South Africa, Canada, Brazil and the German locations in Uelzen (Lower Saxony) and Langquaid (Bavaria).

The group of companies is now present in over 120 countries and operates 37 locations worldwide, including seven production facilities. Under Franz Grimme's leadership, the workforce has grown from around 300 to over 3,300 employees. The product range has been expanded to over 180 models in potato, beet and vegetable technology with the GRIMME, SPUDNIK and ASA-LIFT brands.

Even at the age of 80, Franz Grimme is still present at the company every day. As Chairman of the Supervisory Board of GRIMME Holding, he and his wife Christine support their sons Christoph and Philipp, who are the fifth generation to run the group of companies.

Franz Grimme: ‘My wife and I are very proud that our sons Christoph and Philipp have taken on full responsibility for the companies and that we can both support them with advice and assistance. It is a very comforting feeling to know that everything is in good hands. I am inspired by the large GRIMME team; we have achieved a considerable degree of progress together and still have a lot to accomplish. I am celebrating my 80th birthday with great joy and gratitude.’